Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
6.8
Been a hot second since a movie gave me blue balls…
Can we please leave the non-linear storytelling to Christopher Nolan from now on? This thing is all over the place. And not in an intriguing way. In a “does that hairstyle mean we’re in a flashback?” way.
Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh have amazing chemistry, and there are some fun sequences… but it just left SO MUCH just… I don’t even know where. I had so much hope, movie!
7.9
When the third act twist hits in this one, it’s a gut punch for the ages. I really didn’t expect the depth that I got from this one. I expected funny moments interlaced with some heartfelt moments, but I didn’t expect this to be one of the most insightful and inspirational movies I’ve seen this fall. Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella play off of each other perfectly, and I can’t imagine anyone else in these roles. Hug your loved ones, gang… and don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith just because it might have an ending or hurt along the way.
7.6
So… Blake Lively’s 100% in the wrong on this press tour. Damn… there’s nothing light about this movie. It’s an UNCOMFORTABLE watch. It’s a productive discomfort, but will definitely be triggering.
Going in with a fear that there would be a deference towards glorifying or worse yet romanticizing domestic violence, I was pleasantly surprised by the care that Justin Baldoni took to not only treat the subject matter with the utmost respect, but also delve into the nuance of broken people hurting other broken people when their broken pieces fit together and neither has the strength to pull out of the tailspin. The challenge of trying to help someone who needs but doesn’t want or isn’t ready for help. The weight of generational trauma.
It’s far better than the “Fifty Shades” fiasco. This one was well worth being the only guy in the theater not dragged there by his significant other.
9.1
Ah… the magic of cinema.
It’s not often you get to experience the culmination of 25-30 years of storytelling and wish fulfillment with 500 of your closest friends in an IMAX theater. This one truly turned out to be Fox-Marvel’s “Endgame.” Not only did Reynolds manage to stick the landing and close out one of the greatest superhero trilogies on the highest of notes, but also managed to shoehorn in every cameo and magical moment we didn’t even know we needed. A comic book movie that can cause guttural laughter and move me to tears is something of beauty. A work of cinematic art. Those ripping on the film are doing so because they’re not bought into the bit. Which is fair. It’s a weird world to enter. But if you’re willing to take off your thinking cap and let the Merc with a mouth work his magic for two and a half hours… you’re going to be hard pressed to find a more entertaining film this year. If we’re talking comic book movies, this is honestly the first one since “Avengers: Endgame” to not tarnish the brand.
*Stay through the credits for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. I didn’t expect such care to be taken, but I’ll be damned if this wasn’t the most “respectful of the legacy” film in AGES in Marvel. Well done!
8.4
I’m not going to lie… I was worried about this one. The original “Twister” was lightning in a bottle. In the midst of the late 90’s renaissance of insane action films (The Rock, Con Air, Face/Off, etc.) , it was the perfect concoction of chaos. Yet, here we are…
Glen Powell can really do no wrong at this point. There’s a genuine likeability factor at play that’s hard to fake. The combination of Zac Efron’s looks and Tom Cruise’s love of the cinema and both of their dedication to the craft of filmmaking. He’s at the height of his powers here, and is so damn perfect in this role. Daisy Edgar-Jones as the co-headliner was a surprisingly powerful pick. In the first act, I had my doubts, as the story takes a bit to get going and for the characters to fully open up. But when they do, both Powell and Edgar-Jones are the only ones you can see playing these parts by the time the credits roll. Their chemistry is just the right amounts of mutual respect and mutual sass. They’re a reincarnation of the couple we all fell in love with in Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. The bridge between the second and third act is a gear I didn’t think either of them had as performers, and brough a weight and depth to the film I did not expect.
Thank God they included a “Suck Zone” reference. It wouldn’t have been a Twister film without it and would have been an enormous slight to the legendary Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Personally, I could have done without the Faster Horses level of bro country in the soundtrack, but that was small potatoes overall. The beauty and the sheer scale of this film is meant to be seen on the largest screen with the loudest sound system possible. Summer spectacle at its finest! Bravo!
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 